Features of public Health

Features of public Health

• Public health a Science and an art it

involves the application of many
different disciplines including:
– Biology
– Anthropology
– Public policy
– Medicine
– Education
– Psychology
– Computer science ….
 Important features of public Health

1. Social justice; is the central pillar of public

health
2. Inherently Political nature
3. Expanding agenda
4. Link with government
5. Grounded in science
6. It focuses on prevention
7. Uncommon culture
 Social justice philosophy
• justice is to mean that how each member of a society is
allocated his or her fair share of collective burdens and
benefits.

• Justice indicates that there is fairness in the distribution of

benefits and burdens

• Eg
– health services (benefit) and
– Paying taxes (burden)

• How each member of a society is allocated his or her fair share

of collective burdens and benefits
 Social justice phil…
• Factors that impede the fair distribution of
benefits and burdens: Social class, racism, disability,
etc..

• Collective action is necessary to neutralize or

overcome those impediments .

• Public health works to overcome those

impediments.
 Inherently political nature
• Public Health is both public and political in nature.

• The social justice component of public health

stimulates political conflict

• Governmental public health agencies seeking to

serve the interest of both government and public
are frequently caught in the middle.
 Expanding Agenda

- Prior to 1900, the primary problems addressed by public

health were infectious diseases and related environmental
risks.

- After 1900, the focus expanded to include problems and

needs of children and mothers

- Middle of the century: chronic disease prevention and

medical care fell into public health

- Later, substance abuse, violence, injuries

- Recently: Bioterrorism, other disaster preparedness are also

added to the public health agenda
 Link with Government
Public health is linked with government in
Two ways:
1. Issuing policies that govern the health of the
population
2. Directly provide programs and services that
are designed to meet the health needs of
the population
 Grounded in Science
Often five basic science of public health are
identified:
• Epidemiology,
• biostatics,
• Environmental science,
• management sciences and
• behavioral sciences.
• Occupational Health
• Nutrition and
• Maternal and Child Health
• Epidemiology and biostatics are essential tools of
public health.
 Focus on prevention
Prevention is the purpose of public health
and is aimed at preventing disease;
However we are also preventing
– deaths,
– hospital admissions,
– days lost from school and work
– consumption of human and fiscal resources; etc
…..
 Uncommon culture

• Public health is unique in that many different

sciences, art and methods can contribute towards
the same outcome.

• Vast majority of public health workers are not

formally trained in public health.

• As a result public health professionals include

professionals from different disciplines, like
anthropologist, sociologist, psychologist, physicians,
nurses , nutritionist, lawyers , mangers